WWE revealed the bracket for the inaugural Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic on Wednesday’s edition of The Bump, and in the process, it confirmed the signing of three independent wrestling stars. Priscilla Kelly, Lacey Ryan and Elayna Black were all given new names — Gigi Dolin, Zoey Stark and Cora Jade as they were in to the eight-team bracket.
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Kelly is the best-known of the three, having competed in major promotions like AEW, MLW and WWN over the past few years. She first popped up in WWE as part of the 2018 Mae Young Classic but lost in the first round to (now-reiging Impact Knockouts Champion) Deonna Purrazzo.
#WWENXT is proud to announce the signings of:
Zoey Stark (FKA Lacey Ryan)
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 20, 2021
Gigi Dolin (FKA Priscilla Kelly)
Cora Jade (FKA Elayna Black)#WeAreNXT #DustyClassic @priscillakelly_ @ElaynaBlack @LaceyRyan94
Dolin will team with Jade, while Stark has been paired up with Marina Shafir. Shafir’s usual tag partner, Jessamyn Duke, has been out of action since undergoing elbow surgery last year.
Check out the full bracket for the women’s tournament below:
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The bracket for the first-ever Women’s #DustyCup was officially announced on @WWETheBump.https://t.co/ejhHg4B6PY
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 20, 2021
Which of the three do you think has the brightest future with NXT going forward? Let us hear your predictions in the comments below!
Over in the men’s tournament the Undisputed Era (Adam Cole and Roderick Strong), the Grizzled Young Veterans, MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee, the debuting Radicalz from Impact Wrestling), Drake Maverick & Killian Dain and Legado del Fantasma have already advanced to the second round
Here’s what WWE has on the docket for this week’s edition of NXT:
- Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher (Fight Pit)
- Kushida & Leon Ruff vs. Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory (Dusty Classic)
- Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter vs. Toni Storm & Mercedes Martinez (Women’s Dusty Classic)
- Lucha House Party vs. Imperium (Dusty Classic)